Trade Show Display Rentals - What to Include in Your Request for Proposal, or RFP

In every trade show exhibit rental request for proposal, or RFP, you should require ALL INCLUSIVE or TURNKEY PRICING. This will require the companies bidding to include all the costs and services involved with the booth implementation, show services management, delivery, set-up and removal from the show. This is important; potential booth providers may interpret or propose options to their own advantage, not yours. If an exhibit house does not provide pricing per your guidelines, their bid should be disqualified.

Following is a summary of rental trade show exhibit costs you should be aware of, and tips on what to look for in every rental proposal you receive:

* Booth Design, Engineering and Set Up Instructions: These are costs for your initial rental trade show exhibit design, any subsequent revisions (IMPORTANT - ask if this is included; in many cases revisions may be extra), booth engineering (drawings to build the booth), and set up instructions (drawings to instruct on-site crews to construct your exhibit). These costs typically range from 5-10% of your total project cost, depending on your provider. Also, graphic design usually is NOT included in these proposals. Typically, exhibit houses rely on their client's in-house resources or advertising agencies to design booth graphics. Some exhibit houses can do graphic design, be sure to ask about their capabilities.

Trade Show Display Rentals - What to Include in Your Request for Proposal, or RFP

* Rental Trade Show Exhibit Costs: These costs are for the rental of the material in your booth, and should include carpet, structure, shelving and other critical pieces. In some cases, installation, dismantle and transportation is included (if not, they should be line itemed below). Also, this should include Pre-Show Test Fitting to ensure all materials work properly, are labeled for installation, and fit perfectly. Off-site labor is less expensive, and pre-show test fitting improves on-site set-up efficiency, lowering installation expenses. Also, it minimizes the chances of delivering incomplete or incorrect materials, which can add a surprising amount of labor, material handling and shipping costs.

* Graphic Costs: These are costs to produce (not design) the graphics for you booth. See the note above regarding graphic design. Be aware that some providers charge file "set-up" fees for graphic set up and pre-production. Make sure to discuss this with your provider as well.

* Exhibit Prep/Pack/Load on to Truck: Packing and loading costs may be included in the rental trade show exhibit costs, but be sure to ask.

* Exhibit Return/Re-warehouse/Check for Damage: These costs may be included in the rental trade show exhibit Costs, but, again, ask to be clear.

* Show Service Costs: This is the area where the most confusion occurs. This category of costs covers everything from Shipping to Set-up and Dismantle, and is where the bulk of "missed" items come from. Here is an overview of these costs:

-Shipping (Round Trip)
-Electrical (Service and Labor)
-Hanging Sign Labor
-Material Handling (AKA: Drayage)
-Rigging (if needed)
-Furniture Rental
-Floral
-Booth Cleaning
-Compressed Air (if needed)
-Catering (water, etc.)
-Theatrical Lighting
-Audio Visual

There are more, but these constitute the most common show service costs. You may or may not have all these costs in your booth - but having an exhaustive list is crucial to knowing all potential costs for your trade show display rentals, and thus avoiding any "surprises" when you receive your final bill.